And although she can take pride in breaking the glass ceiling and defeating a popular incumbent, she is likely to face other barriers and challenges once officially sworn in as the commonwealth's junior senator.

Ray LaRaja, associate professor of political science at UMass-Amherst, says that Warren's effectiveness as a legislator will be determined in part by how her colleagues on the other side of the aisle respond to her.

"She's got some Washington experience, so I'm sure she has in mind what she wants to accomplish, especially in terms of financial issues. So it will be interesting to see the (committee) appointments she gets in Washington," LaRaja said. "It will also be interesting to see how her fellow senators, the Republicans on the other side of the aisle, greet her, since they blocked her as the head of the (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau)."

And while it makes sense that Republicans may try to take aim at Warren, or limit her effectiveness as a senator, political consultant Anthony Cignoli says that if they do so in the wrong way, it has the potential to backfire.

"Right off the bat, you have to consider her history with some of these members of the Senate who resisted her becoming the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The Republicans are worried about her being there-no question," Cignoli said. "But she is a very smart woman and a sharp economist. There are 18 women in the U.S. Senate and if Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, (R-Ky.), gets nasty with her like he did Obama, that is not going to sit well with the other women, many of whom are Republicans. It would be in their best interest to find subtle ways to limit her."

Tim Vercellotti, a professor of political science at Western New England University, said that history shows, however, that Warren has a couple of options for jumping ahead as a freshman in the upper chamber of Congress.

"Scholars of the Senate say you can either be a workhorse or a show horse. A work horse will focus on constituent services and bear down on policy while a show horse basks in the limelight of the Sunday morning TV news show circuit," he said. "When Hillary Clinton came into the Senate representing New York, she already had a national persona and people expected her to be a show horse, but she went the other route and it worked for her. Elizabeth Warren also has a national image but only time will tell which path she chooses. Either way, she has to learn the customs of the institution."

And while Warren's advocacy on financial issues and positions on women's issues are well known at this point, Bay State voters are yet to see if she can translate her ideas into viable legislation which can be agreed upon by members of both political parties in the U.S. Senate.

Warren's victory over Brown means that once again, Massachusetts will be represented by two Democrats, along with Sen. John Kerry.

But in Brown's concession speech, he said that "defeat is only temporary," hinting at a potential future run for some office.

But with speculation that Kerry may be tapped for the Secretary of State position Clinton plans to vacate, there is also the possibility that she could be serving with Brown down the road, should he choose to run in a special election and win.

"Conceivably they could be colleagues. If that Senate position opens up, it creates an electoral environment that is favorable for Scott Brown, as he's better off in special elections where there's not a surge of Democratic voters," LaRaja said. "There is also the possibility he could run for governor down the road. The point is he still has options in his political career."

Cignoli said that Brown is facing a couple barriers for another Senate or gubernatorial run in the near future, mainly the Massachusetts Democratic Party's widespread get out the vote plan as designed by party chairman John Walsh.

But no matter what happens in the future, on Tuesday Warren set a precedent in the Bay State by becoming the first female U.S. senator to represent it.

Matt Barron, Democratic political consultant with MLB Research Associates in Chesterfield, said that Warren's win has the potential to shift the way people view Massachusetts as a whole.

"It is certainly huge that she broke through the glass ceiling. For years, people outside the state look at Massachusetts and say 'it's this progressive state, but where are the women legislators?'" Barron said. "They look at Maine, which is represented by two women, and even New Hampshire, which isn't known for being liberal, but here we were. This is no doubt a big step forward."

LaRaja added that Warren could help encourage other female candidates in Massachusetts, although there is one big barrier to anyone new taking office.

"Part of the problem is that it is not a very competitive state, politicians stay in office for a long time. So it takes a long while for women to make it to these positions," LaRaja said. "Having a high profile politician as a woman in Massachusetts, she eases the way for other women. So although there is a slow turnover of politicians in Massachusetts, it could give a boost to other women considering running for office in the state."